Stairway platform

ABSTRACT

A stairway platform intended to permit of the use of a ladder on domestic stairways in a plane extending transversely of the stairway consists of a pedestal means intended for location on a selected stair of the stairway and a trough-like support member co-operable with the pedestal means to span the space between pedestal and the next higher or a higher stair and adapted to receive the lower end of a ladder into positive engagement therewith. The pedestal means is of a height such that the trough-like support member is disposed generally horizontally. The invention also provides for an effective adjustment in the height of the pedestal means by including a spacer frame cooperable with the pedestal means so as to increase the effective height thereof or with the underside of the support member.

United States Patent [191 Brebner [451 Nov. 18, 1975 I 1 STAIRWAY PLATFORM [76] Inventor: Raymond Ian Brebner, 156, Grove [30 Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 31, 1973 United Kingdom 4965/73 Mar. 2, 1973 United Kingdom 10199/73 [52] US. Cl. 182/107 [51] Int. Cl. E04C 7/44 [58] Field of Search 182/15, 107., 108, 200, 182/201 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 270,008 l/l883 Bridges 182/200 X 2,868,427 l/1959 Hess 182/107 3,136,386 6/1964 Horvath et a1 182/15 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 337.341 5/1921 Germany 182/201 148,711 10/1931 Switzerland 182/200 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-David I-I. Corbin Attorney, Agent, or FirmHarrington A. Lackey [57] ABSTRACT A stairway platform intended to permit of the use of a ladder on domestic stairways in a plane extending transversely of the stairway consists of a pedestal means intended for location on a selected stair of the stairway and a trough-like support member cooperable with the pedestal means to span the space between pedestal and the next higher or a higher stair and adapted to receive the lower end of a ladder into positive engagement therewith. The pedestal means is of a height such that th'etrough-like support member is disposed generally horizontally. The invention also provides for an effective adjustment in the height of the pedestal means by including a spacer frame cooperable with the pedestal means so as to increase the effective height thereof or with the underside of the support member.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,920,097-

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,920,097

U.S. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,920,097

STAIRWAY PLATFORM The invention concerns stairway platforms, andhas more particular reference to a structure intended to be applied to a stairway and adapted to provide a support surface for a ladder or the like engaged against a lateral wall surface of the stairway.

According to the present invention, a stairway platform comprises a rigid, elongate support member adapted to receive and locate the lower end of a ladder or the like and a pedestal at or co-operable with the support member at an end thereof, the pedestal being arranged to support the support member'in' a generally horizontal disposition with one end thereof supported on a first step or relative thereto and the other end, which end carries oris co-operable with. the pedestal, overlying a second step spaced downwardly and laterally from the first step and upon which the pedestal rests. H

According to a preferred feature, the support member comprises a trough intended to receive the lower end of a ladder into engagement therewith, and the pedestal comprises a pillar arranged at right angles to the trough and engaging the same from below.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. illustrating several embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a platform constructed in accordance with the present invention, in use;

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 and shows the structure of FIG. 1 in use in conjunction with a spacer frame or shim for increasing the effective height of the pillar;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the arrangement shown, in use, in FIG. 2, one of the elements I being cut away for convenience of illustration.

Referring-now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, a platform for use in supporting a ladder on a stairway, the upper end of the ladder being intended to rest against a lateral side-wall, comprises an elongate trough 11 having a pedestal in the form of a support pillar 12 adjacent one end to support the same on a stairway in a generally horizontal disposition.

The trough 11 will be of such width and length as to receive the foot of a ladder 13 into engagement therewith for positive location thereby.

The support pillar 12 is of truncated pyramidal form and the top 12a is formed with a recess 12b to receive the trough, the cross-section of the recess 12b being complementary to the corresponding cross-section of the trough l l and the depth of the recess being equal to about one half of the depth of the trough. The trough 11 is located relative to the pillar 12 by co-operating formations on the two parts, the recess 12b on the top 1 of the pillar having an upstanding lug 14 for co-opera-' the ladder (not shown) resting on the wall at the side of the stairway.

If desired, spacer frame may be provided for varying the effective height of the pillar, thereby to render the structure applicable to staircases of different stair heights. A suitable device is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and will be seen ,to,comprise a generally rectangular frame 18 of which the sides 18a 18b are of H-shape transverse cross-section to give upwardly and downwardly facing channels 19a 19b, the dimensions of the frame being such that the lower rim of the pillar 12 is engageable with the channel 19a or 19b provided in the upper surface for the time being, of the frame. The channels 19a 19b are of different respective depths such that the extent to which a pillar 12 engaged with the channel is raised when supported thereon depends upon which face of the frame is uppermost.

At one face of the frame, the upper part of the opposed limbs 20a 20b of the H-shape cross-section are cut-away at corresponding positions arranged centrally of the longitudinal sides 18a of the frame 18, the cutouts 18a thus formed being of a length, in the longitudinal direction of the sides 18a in which they are formed, intimately to receive the underside of the trough 11 into closely fitting engagement therewith. By locating the frame 18 beneath the remote end 11a of the trough and between such trough and the stair tread 17 upon which the trough is supported, the effective height of the pillar 12 is reduced as distinct from the situations (inherent in the arrangement of FIGS. 2 and 3) in which the frame is positioned beneath the pillar and the effective height thereof increased.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the embodiments herein disclosed, since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art.

Thus, instead of forming a recess in the top of the pillar .be effected by providing co-operating male and female components on the two parts.

The trough may, if preferred, be open-ended, and in some circumstances it may be found preferable to have a stepped-floor configuration to the thigh, thereby positively to locate the feet of the ladder in the longitudinal direction of the trough.

What I claim is:

1. A support structure for supporting the foot of a ladder having stile bars and rungs in an upright operative position upon a step surface forming an upper step and a lower step, comprising:

a. an elongated support member spanning the width of a ladder foot to be supported,

b. a pedestal member having top and bottom portions, said bottom portion being adapted to rest upon the lower step,

c. said top portion comprising seat means removably engaging one end portion of said elongaged sup- 3 port member to support said elongated support member in a substantially horizontal operative position while the other end of said support member rests upon the upper step,

(1. said seat means further comprising wall means restraining horizontal movement of said elongated support member laterally of said support member,

c. said elongated support member having wall means positively and removably engaging and restraining the stile bars of the ladder foot against horizontal movement in operative position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said elongated support member is a trough member, said wall means of said support member comprising the side walls of the trough member.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said wall means of said support member further comprise end walls longitudinally spaced apart sufficiently to engage the outer surfaces of the stile bars in operative position.

4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising cooperating lug and hole means on said one end of said elongated support member and on the upper portion of said pedestal for removable cooperation to restrain the relative movement between saiid elongated support member and said pedestal against horizontal movement.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means comprises an upward opening recess receiving said one end portion of said elongated support memher.

6. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a spacer frame having means for receiving the bottom portion of said pedestal to support said pedestal in an elevated position.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which said spacer frame further comprises a recess adapted to receive the other end of said elongated support member while resting on the first step in operative position, said spacer frame being removed from the bottom portion of said pedestal.

8. The invention according to claim 6 in which the bottom portion of said pedestal comprises a depending rim and said spacer frame comprises upwardly opening channel means for receiving said rim.

9. The invention according to claim 8 in which the channel means of said spacer frame has an H-shaped section defining upward and downward opening channels of different depths, whereby said spacer frame in a right-side-up position supports said pedestal at one elevation, and said spacer frame in an upside-down position supports said pedestal at a different elevation,

upon the lower step. 

1. A support structure for supporting the foot of a ladder having stile bars and rungs in an upright operative position upon a step surface forming an upper step and a lower step, comprising: a. an elongated support member spanning the width of a ladder foot to be supported, b. a pedestal member having top and bottom portions, said bottom portIon being adapted to rest upon the lower step, c. said top portion comprising seat means removably engaging one end portion of said elongaged support member to support said elongated support member in a substantially horizontal operative position while the other end of said support member rests upon the upper step, d. said seat means further comprising wall means restraining horizontal movement of said elongated support member laterally of said support member, e. said elongated support member having wall means positively and removably engaging and restraining the stile bars of the ladder foot against horizontal movement in operative position.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said elongated support member is a trough member, said wall means of said support member comprising the side walls of the trough member.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said wall means of said support member further comprise end walls longitudinally spaced apart sufficiently to engage the outer surfaces of the stile bars in operative position.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising cooperating lug and hole means on said one end of said elongated support member and on the upper portion of said pedestal for removable cooperation to restrain the relative movement between saiid elongated support member and said pedestal against horizontal movement.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said means comprises an upward opening recess receiving said one end portion of said elongated support member.
 6. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising a spacer frame having means for receiving the bottom portion of said pedestal to support said pedestal in an elevated position.
 7. The invention according to claim 6 in which said spacer frame further comprises a recess adapted to receive the other end of said elongated support member while resting on the first step in operative position, said spacer frame being removed from the bottom portion of said pedestal.
 8. The invention according to claim 6 in which the bottom portion of said pedestal comprises a depending rim and said spacer frame comprises upwardly opening channel means for receiving said rim.
 9. The invention according to claim 8 in which the channel means of said spacer frame has an H-shaped section defining upward and downward opening channels of different depths, whereby said spacer frame in a right-side-up position supports said pedestal at one elevation, and said spacer frame in an upside-down position supports said pedestal at a different elevation, upon the lower step. 